Swenson Gardens

JUNE 5, 6, 12 & 13 PEONY FIELD DAYS – 9a to 5P

Calling all peony gardeners, collectors, photographers, artists, enthusiasts and novices, Swenson Gardens Peony Field Days is official! Yes, friends, it’s time to enjoy the peony blooms up close, but maybe not too personal. We are open on Friday, June 5th, Saturday, June 6th, Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th from 9a to 5P. We will NOT be open on SUNDAY’S during those weekends. These four dates are weather dependent so any changes/cancellations will be noted on our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages, or you can call us at 763-350-2051 for more info.

Experts will be onsite for any peony related questions you may have! For those of you who may not be able to walk through the many rows of peonies, there will be a drop-off location next to the big white tent with better access to the display field. Additionally, you can drive up and down our driveway to view many of our varieties from the road. Please be careful driving while on our property as others will be walking on the driveway.

Location/Parking Information: For those of you who are new to Swenson Gardens Peony Field Days, our address is 10958 70th ST SW, Howard Lake, MN. The parking lot is a quick right hand turn upon entering our driveway. After you are parked, walk north on the driveway to our big white information tent. From there you will receive instructions on how best to make your way through our five, yes five, fields of peonies. Most of our fields include plants that are 2 and 3 years old and one of our fields has a few 4 year old intersectional/Itoh hybrid peonies. Yes folks, time to lace up your shoes and stretch your legs as you make your way up and down the peony rows, if are able to do so.

Ordering: For your safety and the safety of others, we will only be using online ordering for this year’s Peony Field Days. Please bring your smartphone or tablet to order as you walk through the field or sit in your car (no ordering and driving, please). We will not have in-person cash or check ordering as we have had in the past. However, if you do not have access to a smart phone, tablet or computer, please visit the information tent and we can order for you on one of our devices. As you can tell by the number of varieties that are already sold out, we have had a banner year of peony bare root sales, so if you have your eye on some new peony additions to your garden, we suggest ordering as soon so possible to ensure they are still in stock. Our online store keeps track of our inventory in real time so if you submit an order and it is rejected, it may mean the quantities you are ordering are not available or that variety is sold out.

COVID-19 Precautions: Please maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet between groups. Thankfully, our many fields make it easy to keep your distance from other people. Please do not enter our property if you are sick, have been knowingly exposed to anyone with COVID-19, or have any serious underlying health concerns that may put you at risk. In other words, use common sense. Masks are optional to wear, as the outdoor nature of the event significantly reduces transmission risk. However, if you would like to wear one, please feel free to do so. If you have any additional questions and concerns, please email us at info@swensongardens.com.

Insurance Disclaimer: Now the yearly disclaimer to satisfy our insurance company, Swenson Gardens, LLC, Becky and Keith Swenson and any of our employees and staff, will not be held liable for any injury, death, theft and personal property damage while visiting our property located at 10958 70th Street SW, Howard Lake, MN 55349 during Swenson Gardens Peony Field Days. You have voluntarily chosen to enter our property at your own risk. We want all visitors to be safe and considerate on our property.

Additional Information: Did we mention to the new visitors at Peony Field Days that we are dog friendly? Yes it is okay to bring your four legged family member as long as they are on a leash and are cleaned up after. Water is not available here so please bring the necessary means of hydration with you. Time for a family picnic? The lawn south and east of our house is the perfect picnic location, and offers great views of the pond and peony fields. Please be respectful of all our Purple Martins living in four different houses. My guess is we have at least 40 pairs of Martins so enjoy these aerobatic wonders in the sky. For parents with small children, please keep tabs on them in the peony fields and around our farm as we have electric fences for the fertilizer production team, aka our herd of Dexter cows. Finally, the areas north of our home are not open to the public.

Once we get closer to Peony Field Days we will update the blog with varieties in bloom and any changing conditions in the fields. Boots may be in order depending on rainfall and may be handy to bring with. Also if using any mosquito or tick repellent, please put on in the parking lot and do not spray while in the peony fields. We wouldn’t want to change the fact that we are the world’s largest chemical free peony grower by spraying anything in our peony fields, would we? We have a tie this year for our very early blooming varieties, Fantasia and Sprite. Congratulations Saunders varieties for the first color of the year. Can’t wait to see you at Swenson Gardens 2020 Peony Field Days!

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